rosemary lentil meatloaf

Plant-based recipes for the holiday season are slowly but surely becoming more abundant. Since holiday traditions are typically centered around meat, you literally have to flip your brain upside down to find vegan alternatives.

Even though vegan holiday foods are found in store freezers, they are not the same as a homemade meal.

That is exact reason I set out to create this savory and delicious vegan and gluten-free, Rosemary Lentil Loaf.

My Home-Run Moment

During my recipe testing and formulation, I knew this vegan meatloaf had to meet the three qualifications below:

Savory

Slightly crunchy (or rather, have texture)

A touch of sweetness

After just one iteration of this recipe, it was a home-run. That feeling was one of those rare moments when you feel so happy that your eyes start to swell and your smile stretches from cheek to cheek.

Prep It

OK, let’s do this. For starters, the preparation for this recipe requires a level of focus that most of my other recipes do not, so limit any distractions.

Begin by setting out all the ingredients on your counter and roughly chop the carrots, celery, yellow onion, and garlic.

Then, rinse 2/3 cup lentils in a fine mesh strainer and add them to a saucepan with 1 1/2 cups water. Simmer for about 20 minutes (when the lentils split, they’re finished).

*Additionally, taste test them. If they are still crunchy, allow them to simmer for a few more minutes before testing again.

Next, as the lentils simmer, heat a skillet over medium-high heat and preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the roughly chopped onions, carrots, and celery stalks to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.

Prep Continued

Now, dump the veggies out of the food processor into the heated skillet and saute for about 8 minutes, or until most of the water absorbs.

As they saute, chop the walnuts into small pieces.

During the final-minute of sauteing the veggies, add the chopped walnuts into the skillet and heat. This will help bring out the nutty fragrance.

Now, remove from heat and allow the veggie/walnut mixture to cool for about 4 minutes.

Dump the mixture back into the food processor, along with the cooked lentils and the rest of the ingredients. Pulse until mixed, but not mashed (see above picture).

Finally, dump the meatloaf mix on a baking pan (or loaf pan) lined with parchment paper. If using a baking pan, form a loaf using your hands.

*Forming tip: I recommend a rectangular shape that’s tall and narrow versus short and wide.

Cook It

Put the pan into the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

During this time, prepare the cranberry glaze by adding half of the can of jellied cranberry sauce into a bowl. Then, whisk in 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 2 tbsp water; set aside.

Once the loaf has baked for 25 minutes, take it out of the oven, brush the glaze on top and put it back into the oven for another 10-15 minutes ; checking at the 10-minute mark to prevent burning.

When it’s finished, allow the meatloaf to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving; otherwise you’ll end up with a mushy meal and no one likes that.

Meatloaf Glaze:

notes :

*Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to pulse in batches.

**See the first asterisk

***Form in a rectangular shape that’s tall and narrow versus short and wide. If you have a loaf pan, use that, but it’s not required.

****Don’t skip this step. If you serve it too soon, you’ll end up with a mushy loaf. No one likes that.

directions :

Begin by thoroughly rinsing the lentils in a fine mesh strainer. Then add the lentils and 1.5 cups of water to a medium saucepan and simmer for 20 minutes; (the lentils are done when you see them start to split and are no longer crunchy).

As the lentils simmer, heat a skillet over medium-high heat and preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Roughly chop the carrots, celery stalks, yellow onion, and garlic. Add them into the food processor and pulse until finely chopped, but not mashed*.

Now, add the processed veggies into the heated skillet and saute for 8 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking. During this time, chop the walnuts into small pieces and during the last minute of sauteing the veggies, add the them into the skillet (this will release the nutty fragrance).

Allow the veggie/walnut mixture to cool for 4 minutes and then dump it back into the food processor along with the cooked lentils and the rest of your ingredients**. Pulse until mixed, but not mushed (see picture above for reference).

Finally, line a baking pan (or loaf pan) with parchment paper and dump out the meatloaf mixture onto the pan. Shape into a square with your hands or a spatula*** (omit if using loaf pan). Place it in the oven and set a timer for 25 minutes.

As the meatloaf bakes, whisk together the ingredients for the meatloaf glaze in a small bowl and set aside.

After 25 minutes of baking, remove the loaf from the oven and spread the glaze over top. Put it back into the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the glaze is caramelized.

Take it out of the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving****.

notes :

*Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to pulse in batches.

**See the first asterisk

***Form in a rectangular shape that’s tall and narrow versus short and wide. If you have a loaf pan, use that, but it’s not required.

****Don’t skip this step. If you serve it too soon, you’ll end up with a mushy loaf. No one likes that.

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4 Comment(s)

Gail

December 22, 2018

Sounds so delicious. I’m trying to think if this would freeze reasonably well.. I may try it. I can imagine popping a slice or two out of the freezer for a quick lunch. I’m excited to try it! I’m really impressed with the work you’ve done on the site so far! Keep ‘em coming :).

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